1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to glass articles and, more particularly, to glass articles having reflective coatings that enhance the articles for product differentiation, UV protection, heat absorption protection and ease of refrigeration. The present invention is also directed to methods of and apparatus for forming reflective coatings on glass articles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The practice of coating glass articles is well known in the art. It has been common practice in the production of glassware to deposit “hot end” coatings upon the newly formed glass, usually at or before the annealing lehr while the glassware is at an elevated temperature. These “hot end” coatings are typically deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which involves directing a stream of vapors laden with metal-containing species toward the hot glass container surface to produce a thin layer of metal oxide, typically stannic or titanic oxide. After formation of the “hot end” coating, it is conventional practice to thereafter apply a lubricious “cold end” coating at lower temperatures. The “hot end” coating serves to anchor the subsequently applied “cold end” coating, usually a waxy lubricant added after annealing. Without the metal-oxide layer, such waxy lubricants do not adhere well to glass. The purpose of both “hot end” and “cold end” coatings is to provide protection against scratching and the ensuing loss of strength. And, as such, with those coatings it is preferred that they should not change the appearance of the glassware.
For example, many beer bottles are brown or a similar dark color. The only differentiation between products comes from the different labels or other indicia applied to the bottle. For certain marketing applications, it may be desirable to further differentiate one product from another to provide immediate product recognition in a crowded product environment. The present invention is directed to a method of providing such product differentiation.